Usage quiz #3 AP LIT

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds in close proximity within a line or sentence to create a melodic effect.

Example: “The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.” (The long “a” sound is repeated.)

Foil

Definition: A character who contrasts with another character (often the protagonist) to highlight particular qualities.

Example: In Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy serves as a foil to Harry Potter, contrasting Harry’s bravery and compassion with arrogance and prejudice.

Shift

Definition: A change in tone, perspective, or style within a work, often to signal a change in the narrator’s understanding or the direction of the story.

Example: In Romeo and Juliet, the tone shifts from romantic to tragic after Mercutio’s death, marking a darker phase in the play.

Blidungsroman

Definition: A coming-of-age novel that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood.

Example: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee follows Scout Finch as she matures and learns about racism and empathy.

Didactic

Definition: Literature intended to instruct or educate, often with a moral lesson.

Example: Aesop’s fables, such as “The Tortoise and the Hare,” are didactic tales teaching morals through simple stories.

Cacophony

Definition: A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds used in poetry or prose to create a jarring effect.

Example: “With throats unslaked, with black lips baked, / Agape they heard me call.” (from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge) – the harsh “k” and “b” sounds create dissonance.

Caesura

Definition: A pause or break in a line of poetry, often used to create rhythm or emphasize a point.

Example: “To be, or not to be — that is the question.” (Shakespeare’s Hamlet) – the dash marks a caesura.

Repetition

Definition: The intentional use of the same word or phrase multiple times to emphasize an idea or theme.

Example: Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech uses repetition of “I have a dream” to emphasize his vision for equality.

Soliloquy

Definition: A monologue in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud, usually while alone, to reveal inner feelings.

Example: Hamlet’s “To be, or not to be” speech is a soliloquy where he contemplates life and death.

Theme

Definition: The underlying message or main idea of a work of literature.

Example: In The Great Gatsby, one theme is the corruption of the American Dream.

Climax

Definition: The highest or most intense point in the development of a story, where the main conflict reaches its peak.

Example: In Romeo and Juliet, the climax occurs when Romeo kills Tybalt, setting off a chain of tragic events.

Mood

Definition: The emotional atmosphere or feeling evoked in a reader by a literary work.

Example: The mood of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven is dark and eerie, enhanced by descriptions of the midnight hour and the haunting raven.